Over the course of four days in June 2017, and in conjunction with the Arab Studies Institute and George Mason University, the Political Economy Project held its second Political Economy Summer Institute (PESI) at GMU. The summer institute brought together, for the second consecutive year, a diverse collection of scholars and graduate student fellows from around the world for a series of workshops on the foundational concerns of critical political economy, with special attention devoted to conducting research in the contemporary Middle East.

The institute served not only as an overview of critical debates and fundamental concepts for student participants, but also as an opportunity for faculty participants to reflect on long-running debates and acquaint themselves with emerging research agendas.

Submit a Letter of Interest by clicking below:

More than eight sessions and discussions on various topics were held, as well as presentations by each of the student fellows on their current research projects, followed by a conversation with the faculty and PEP members. The reading lists produced by the faculty session leaders represent an excellent compendium of basic texts and citations in the tradition of critical political economy. We are working on compiling a public PESI reading list in coordination with PEP’s annotated bibliography project. Stay tuned by visiting our PEP Blog here.

The Political Economy Project has also held several workshops and conferences in the United States, the Middle East, and Europe. These events can be accessed here. We have also launched a yearly Book Prize competition starting in 2015, and is now on its second year.

We are looking forward to host a third cohort in Summer 2018. Please find the call for letters of interest below. You may download the announcement in PDF format for distribution by clicking here.

We are writing to solicit Letters of Interest (LOI) from doctoral students and other researchers for our third Political Economy Summer Institute workshop to be held in June 2018 at George Mason University on the political economy of the Middle Eas. The aim of the Political Economy Summer Institute (PESI) is both to provide graduate level engagement and instruction as well as to connect doctoral students and independent researchers with mid-career and senior scholars working in the field of critical political economy. The Summer Institute will consist of three main parts: (1) doctoral students presenting their research and receiving written and verbal feedback from the participants, (2) methodological and theoretical workshop sessions led by faculty scholars, and (3) small break-out group discussions that build on the faculty-led sessions.

Anyone interested in submitting an LOI to attend the workshop should provide the following: [If you are not a Ph.D. student, you may still apply.]

1. Title of your current research project.

2. Institutional affiliation along with name and contact information for your thesis/dissertation advisor (and any additional committee members if possible).

3. Short research narrative (500 words maximum). Please lay out your primary research question, scope of your research, methodology, and where you are in the research process.

4. Expected completion date of Ph.D., if applicable

5. List of any relevant publications.

Please submit all LOI by the early deadline of 12 October 2017 to the Pedagogy Working Group at the Political Economy Project through the following online form:

Late submissions will be reviewed through the end of October, pending available workshop spaces. The committee will review the LOI and invite selected students to submit more detailed proposals of their research to be presented at the workshop. Fellowships may be offered to support travel and lodging, subject to availability. If you have funding from your home institution to attend please indicate that on the electronic form. Most meals will be covered for the duration of the Institute.